Chilean miners rescue capsule on display

One of the capsules which carried the 33 trapped Chilean miners to safety is currently on display in London.

The 3.9m by 54cm steel capsules were no doubt a sight for sore eyes for the miners, who had been trapped for 69 days before they were hauled to safety, and now people can see one for themselves at the London Science Museum.

The Chilean miners rescue capsule is on display at the Science Museum (Getty Images)

People can have a go at standing in the Fenix 2 capsule, which is equipped with communication devices and retractable wheels to help it move up the shaft quicker.

Katrina Nilsson, from the Science Museum, said: ‘I’m sure we can all remember the moment when the first miner was pulled to the surface after being trapped for almost ten weeks.

‘By showing the capsule at the museum, we hope to draw attention to the technical and engineering challenges that the rescue team tackled during this extraordinary operation.’

The capsule will be on display until May 13th.

The Chilean miners spent over two months below ground when part of the mine in San Jose which they were working on collapsed in August 2010. They had to travel 625m to the surface during the rescue mission.